Lord Stephen (LD) [V]:...By this, I mean that the greatest prize in
electricity security is not simply avoiding power cuts. Of course,
we have all seen the dire headlines, and there has been an
increasing number of mega power cuts over the last decade, which
have caused huge problems in Pakistan, Canada, America, Turkey and
the Philippines, for example. Sadly, the UK has not been immune, as
we saw on 7 August last year. But it is about more than stopping
the system falling over. It is about...Request free trial
(LD) [V]:...By this, I mean that the greatest
prize in electricity security is not simply avoiding power cuts. Of
course, we have all seen the dire headlines, and there has been an
increasing number of mega power cuts over the last decade, which
have caused huge problems in Pakistan, Canada, America, Turkey and
the Philippines, for example. Sadly, the UK has not been immune, as
we saw on 7 August last year. But it is about more than stopping
the system falling over. It is about how you drive the future and
seize opportunities as quickly and early as possible. In short, do
you wait for a crisis to hit you, as they did in Australia—you
might remember Tesla riding to the rescue with its
100-megawatt battery, delivered in 100 days—or do you realise there
is an imperative of central importance here: tackling climate
change and delivering on the target of net zero by 2050?
...Let us be clear: if the UK is determined then we can be the
engine, the driving force, right at the centre of the renewables
revolution. The UK could lead the way with a strong, stable grid,
exporting our wind, tidal and wave power and delivering the future.
If all we do is prepare for crisis, and if we do not invest, then
our grid will stagnate and big opportunities will be lost. Sadly,
if that happens then we will have more days like 9 August last year
when our lights went out and more than 1 million people across
Britain were left without electricity. We must not let that happen
ever again. We do not want to be like Australia, sending for the
cavalry and calling on Elon Musk to patch up the damage...
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